The city's transportation department announced it would leave the "makeshift memorial" untouched until Tuesday.

"We appreciate Austin's reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World and recognize David Bowie for all he did for the music industry and more," the department said in a statement.

But a petition quickly emerged on website change.org seeking to make David Bowie Street permanent, noting that Austin had already named a boulevard for country star -- and local resident -- Willie Nelson.

Critics on social media said that James Bowie was more important to Texas, but the petition countered that the revolutionary already had a school in his honor.

"While the street's original namesake is a Texas folk hero who should be honored, Austin's culture is always growing and shifting, and David Bowie seems to be a much more fitting reflection," the petition said.

Bowie, a pioneer of glam rock whose career took him to soul, electronica, hard rock and jazz, died Sunday at age 69 after a previously undisclosed battle with cancer.